Events Calendar
Peconic Landing Speaker Series: Shellfish Restoration
Hear from Kate Rossi-Snook, CCE Aquaculture Specialist + Stewardship Site Manager, on the Marine Program’s current shellfish restoration efforts, the challenges with which we are faced in a changing climate, and recent successes.
This presentation is hosted by Peconic Landing and is open to the public. For more information, call 631-477-3800 or send an email to info@peconiclanding.org
A Day at the Bay: Spring Break
Marine Science and art adventures! Get ready for an amazing adventure where marine science meets art. Explore the bayside ecosystem, learn about local species & habitat, and create art inspired by the sea. Spend the day learning and creating with Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program educators Hazel Wodehouse and Carolyn Munaco. All participants will receive a signed copy of Long Island Marine and Coastal Field Guide.
Pack a lunch. Dress for a mess inside and layers with appropriate footwear for outside weather.
Register on the Town of Southampton website: https://nysouthamptonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/search.html?module=AR&primarycode=*&_csrf_token=Zj6I6N6E0D0D1D2O274T3X4H015O5G4R1L5J4A6D570N604D6R6G005V4M575F195S5P664V020B3P4Z5504704Q6Q640D5H4X534O735R6E4E660C735X5D6E72614G6U
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County strives to host inclusive, accessible events that respectfully enables all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to interact and engage fully. Our Association will make reasonable accommodations to enable all individuals to participate in our events. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Carolyn Munaco at cjm427@cornell.edu
A Day at the Bay: Spring Break
Marine Science and art adventures! Get ready for an amazing adventure where marine science meets art. Explore the bayside ecosystem, learn about local species & habitat, and create art inspired by the sea. Spend the day learning and creating with Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program educators Hazel Wodehouse and Carolyn Munaco. All participants will receive a signed copy of Long Island Marine and Coastal Field Guide.
Pack a lunch. Dress for a mess inside and layers with appropriate footwear for outside weather.
Register on the Town of Southampton website: https://nysouthamptonweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/search.html?module=AR&primarycode=*&_csrf_token=Zj6I6N6E0D0D1D2O274T3X4H015O5G4R1L5J4A6D570N604D6R6G005V4M575F195S5P664V020B3P4Z5504704Q6Q640D5H4X534O735R6E4E660C735X5D6E72614G6U
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County strives to host inclusive, accessible events that respectfully enables all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to interact and engage fully. Our Association will make reasonable accommodations to enable all individuals to participate in our events. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Carolyn Munaco at cjm427@cornell.edu
ArtSea Create + Sip ~ Salt Marsh Sunrise Acrylic Painting
Learn about CCE Marine's local coastal habitat restoration efforts & horseshoe crabs and then create an acrylic seascape on canvas.
Welcome to ArtSea Create & Sip! Join us at Whales Tale in Hampton Bays on Thursday, April 9th , 2026 at 6:00 PM for a night of learning, creativity and fun. Learn about the saltmarshes, water quality, horseshoe crabs and the work CCE Marine is doing.
No experience needed, just come ready to have a great time! 🎨🍷Enjoy the fun vibes, good food & drink, at Whalestale, while enjoying the company of like-minded people supporting our bays.
Stewardship Session: Coastal Gardening
Join CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays Habitat Specialists and Educators in a unique hands-on experience preparing planting into our new demonstrative coastal rain garden to kick off spring! We will be working with native coastal plant species and learning about their many important roles throughout this experience.
Please come prepared in clothes that you are ok with getting dirty. Also, bring gardening gloves and hand shovels if you have (some will be provided, but supplies are limited).
Stewardship Session: Seahorse Hotel at Tiana Bayside
Did you know the Northern Lined Seahorse is native to Eastern Long Island? Unfortunately, loss of habitat has led to significant decline in their populations. Come to this interactive workshop to learn about the life cycles + behaviors of seahorses from CCE Marine's experts, and then work together as a group to construct a "Seahorse Hotel" artificial habitat based on what you have learned--your creation will be deployed in local waters at our Hampton Bays + Sag Harbor Stewardship Sites and utilized in our new seahorse restoration + monitoring efforts!
Earth Day at Quogue Wildlife Refuge
Join Back to the Bays at Quogue Wildlife Refuge's Earth Day Celebration and learn how to support our restoration efforts.
Stewardship Session: Shell Bag Assembly
Help our Aquaculture Coordinator create bags of oyster shells for our spat-on-shell oyster reef restoration projects! Shelter Island, NY
Reef Raisers + Meadow Makers OPEN HOUSE
Join us in celebrating the culmination of our inaugural year of CCE Marine’s Reef Raisers + Meadow Makers Program - an integrated multi-unit curriculum engaging local students in restoring oyster reefs and coastal habitats, through hands-on stewardship in their own classrooms.
Back to the Bays @ Hampton Bays St. Patrick's Parade
March with Cornell Cooperative Extension & Back to the Bays in the 2026 Hampton Bays Hibernian St. Patrick's Day Parade March 21st.
ArtSea Create & Sip - Salt Marsh Watercolor
Welcome to ArtSea Create & Sip! Join us at Vine Street Cafe, Shelter Island on February 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM for a night of learning, creativity and fun. Learn about the native coastal plants of the saltmarshes, and what CCE Marine is doing to restore them, as we sip on drinks and unleash our inner artists.
No experience needed, just come ready to have a great time! 🎨🍷Enjoy the scrumptious food, drink, at Vine Street Cafe, while enjoying the company of like-minded people supporting our bays.
CANCELLED! 4th Annual North Fork Polar Bear Plunge
*CANCELLED
Due to unprecedented winter weather conditions, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 4th Annual North Fork Polar Bear Plunge for this year. We are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm, generosity, and support shown by our plungers, sponsors, and community. While we won’t be gathering at the beach this year, the impact of your participation is still very real. All funds raised directly support two vital causes:
CAST - providing food relief, education, and essential support services to North Fork and Shelter Island residents in need
CCE Marine Program and our Back to the Bays Initiative - restoring marine habitats and strengthening shellfish populations on the East End
You can still pickup plunge merchandise and prizes at CAST - 53930 Main Rd. in Southold. Visit Treiber Hall using the entrance off the Main Rd. The first 50 people to pick up their items will receive a free sweatshirt! Prizes will also be awarded to the top teams and individual fundraisers.
Merch + prize pickup dates and times:
Thursday, January 29: 12:00–4:00 PM
Wednesday, February 4: 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
Thursday, February 5: 2:00–5:00 PM
Saturday, February 7: 1:00–3:00 PM
To learn more about cold water plunging, visit the North Fork Polar Bears at northforkpolarbears.org. There is still time to add your support for Team Back to the Bays HERE. Thank you, and stay safe and warm!
Good Ground Holiday Gift Fair
Join Back to the Bays for a Holiday Market in Hampton Bays! Learn more about our mission, become a Steward and shop our marine species apparel, accessories and more! Don’t miss our handmade gifts, oyster shell decoupage and more for your holiday gift giving needs.
NO Shellabration
Greenport Shellabration is taking a break this year. Thank you for your support and patience.
Shoreline Restoration + SEAd Bomb Workshop at Long Beach
Help us plant native coastal grasses & shrubs in our designated restoration areas on the beach, and create SEAd Bombs to replenish the natural buffer between the beach and parking area at Long Beach. Work side by side with Cornell Cooperative Extension's Habitat Restoration Team and learn about the importance of coastal plant restoration while playing a hands on role in planting efforts. Please bring work gloves, dress for the weather and join us beginning at 10am on Saturday December 6th. Service hours available, please contact a staff person at the event if you require documentation.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to interact and engage fully. We will make reasonable accommodations to enable participation in our programmming. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact us at backtothebays@cornell.edu at least one week prior to the program or event date.
Happy Hour + ArtSea Create & Sip: Shell Decoupage
Enjoy Happy Hour and learn about the work Back to the Bays does locally. Create beautiful decoupage shells just in time for holiday giving!
Please join us on November 20, 2025 at 5pm at Whales Tale Hampton Bays for our Back to the Bays Happy Hour Social featuring Taps & Apps Thursday: 1/2 off Apps & 1/2 off Drafts!
Meet the Back to the Bays team, learn about our mission and marine restoration work in Hampton Bays and beyond in 2025 and what's in store for 2026!
Then stay for our ArtSea Create & Sip Shell Decoupage event at 6:30 PM
It will be a fun evening of good people, food, & drinks while creating beautiful decoupaged shells and learning about the work Back to the Bays and Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program does in Shinnecock Bay, Peconic Bay and other local bodies of water.
Join us in supporting restoration efforts in our local bays!
No experience necessary - our instructor will guide you through every step!
For each ticket purchased you will be supporting the work of Back to the Bays & CCE Marine and will be entered into our Back to the Bays Swag Bag full of merch raffle!
Happy Hour is complimentary to join! Ticket required to participate in ArtSEA event.
Marine Meadows Workshop at Kidd Squid Brewery
Help CCE Marine's Team in our eelgrass restoration efforts by helping weave eelgrass shoots into burlap "tortillas" for transplanting!
Coastal Gardening at Tiana Bayside
Join CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays Team planting, transplanting and weeding our demonstrative coastal rain garden and coastal plant nursery!
Please come prepared in clothes & shoes that you are ok with getting dirty. Also, bring gardening gloves and hand shovels if you have (some will be provided, but supplies are limited).
Plants take in carbon dioxide from air and sequester carbon in their soil and roots. Less carbon in atmosphere, less climate change!
This event counts toward community service hours!
We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!
Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with nature and fellow gardening enthusiasts. See you there!
ArtSea Tiana Tuesday Nights - Oil Pastel Scallop Shells
Welcome to ArtSea Tiana Tuesday Nights - Oil Pastel Scallop Shells! Join us for a fun and creative evening where we will be learning about localbay scallops and exploring the beauty of oil pastels while creating stunning scallop shell artwork. No experience necessary, just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to learn!
Date: Tue Oct 21 2025
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Tiana Bayside Facility
Come unwind, learn, socialize, and tap into your artistic side with us. All materials will be provided, so just bring yourself and get ready to have a blast!
Bring your own snacks & beverages.
Marine Meadows Workshop at Quogue Wildlife Refuge
Join Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Back to the Bays Initiative for a Marine Meadows Workshop! Participants will learn about the importance of eelgrass, our native species of seagrass that provides essential habitat and services, and then will have the opportunity to weave eelgrass into discs of burlap to prepare them for planting into the South Shore Estuary. This program is made possible by funding from the South Shore Estuary Reserve Program. Community service hours will be provided upon request.
Tiana Coastal Garden Seed Collecting and SEAd Bomb Making
Welcome to Tiana Coastal Garden!
Come join us at the beautiful Tiana Bayside on October 16, 2025 at 4pm for native seed collecting and SEAd Bomb making!
We will search the grounds of Tiana Bayside for any native plants with seeds ready to be harvested and we will use them along with other sourced seeds to create SEAd Bombs... small soil balls with native perennial plant seeds. The plant species in the SEAd Bombs are plants that will support rain gardens, maintain swale structure, help prevent erosion and provide nectar and food to insects and animals .
Plants take in carbon dioxide from air and sequester carbon in their soil and roots. Less carbon in atmosphere, less climate change!
Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. OysterFest
Join us for Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.’s Annual OysterFest on Carpenter Street in Greenport! Learn more about our Greenport Stewardship Site, get creative with an ArtSEA activity or shop our oyster-themed merch.
Seahorse Hotel Fundraiser at Silver Sands x Back to the Bays Happy Hour
Join us for an evening of oysters, small plates, drinks, and community in support of our local waters at the new The Boathouse at Silver Sands in Greenport.
Learn more about Back to the Bays, an initiative of Cornell Cooperative Extention - Marine Program and help fundraise for a NEW Greenport Stewardship Site.
Tickets: $50 includes Pipes Cove oyster bar, small plates by The Boathouse, and wine and beer from our sponsors.
Sponsors and in-kind partners: McCall Wines & Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.
All proceeds will directly support the Back to the Bays Greenport Stewardship Site, helping to restore and revitalize native marine species including eelgrass and the Northern Lined Seahorse.
Coastal Gardening at Tiana Bayside
Join CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays Team planting, transplanting and weeding our demonstrative coastal rain garden and coastal plant nursery!
Please come prepared in clothes & shoes that you are ok with getting dirty. Also, bring gardening gloves and hand shovels if you have (some will be provided, but supplies are limited).
Plants take in carbon dioxide from air and sequester carbon in their soil and roots. Less carbon in atmosphere, less climate change!
This event counts toward community service hours!
We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!
Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with nature and fellow gardening enthusiasts. See you there!
Shelter Island History Museum Oyster 'R Here 2025
Back to the Bays will be participating in partnership with the Shelter Island History Museum to spread the awareness about our Shelter Island Stewardship Site!
Recycled oyster shells from this event will contribute to our Shell Collection Pile at Sylvester Manor to go on to be used in our remote setting tank to create spat-on-shell oysters to be planted at our Shelter Island Stewardship Restoration Sites.
For more information and for tickets, please visit: https://www.shelterislandhistorical.org/programs-and-events.html
Tiana Coastal Garden Seed Collecting and SEAd Bomb Making
Welcome to Tiana Coastal Garden!
Come join us at the beautiful Tiana Bayside on September 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM (Eastern Time) for native seed collecting and SEAd Bomb making!
We will search the grounds of Tiana Bayside for any native plants with seeds ready to be harvested and we will use them along with other sourced seeds to create Sead Bombs... small soil balls with native perennial plant seeds. The plant species in the Sead Bombs are plants that will support rain gardens, maintain swale structure, help prevent erosion and provide nectar and food to insects and animals.
Blue Carbon Presentation at Quogue Wildlife Refuge
Blue Carbon refers to the carbon dioxide captured and stored by oceans and coastal ecosystems, such as seagrass meadows and salt marshes. These Blue Carbon Ecosystems play a crucial role in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide, thereby mitigating climate change. With funding from the South Shore Estuary Reserve Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Back to the Bays Initiative will provide a presentation on Blue Carbon in the Nature Center and then engage participants with a hands-on activity to help with seagrass restoration. Community service hours will be provided upon request.
Register here: https://quoguewildliferefuge.org/event/blue-carbon-presentation-with-cce-marine/
ArtSea Tiana Tuesday Nights - Pufferfish in Eelgrass Canvas & Driftwood
Welcome to ArtSea Tiana Tuesday Nights - Pufferfish in Eelgrass - Canvas & Driftwood event! Join us for a creative evening on Tue Sep 16 2025 at 6:00 PM at the Tiana Bayside Facility. Learn about the importance of local eelgrass and northern puffers and let yourself relax and paint a beautiful pufferfish swimming in eelgrass on canvas and driftwood. No experience necessary - our instructor will guide you every step of the way. Get ready for a fun and relaxing night of art and creativity by the sea.
Bring your own snacks and beverages!
ArtSea Create & Sip Clams
Clams why are they so important? Join us at The Station in Hampton Bays and learn about why the hard clam is so imporatant, the role CCE Marine plays in the quantity of clams found in local bays and what you can do to help! And then we will get creative painting hard and surf clam shells. Local artist Carolyn Munaco will share tips on shell painting, how to paint a fast waterscape with minimal paint, and lettering.
ArtSea Kids Seahorses & Eelgrass
Welcome to ArtSea Create & Learn Kids: Seahorses & Eelgrass - Seahorse Shell Mosaic event! Join us on Wed Aug 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM at The Station for a fun and creative experience. Let your kids explore their artistic side as they learn about seahorses and eelgrass while creating a beautiful seahorse shell mosaic. This hands-on activity will spark their imagination and teach them about marine life in a fun way. Don't miss out on this exciting event that combines art and education in a unique way! All Children 14 and under must have a parent or adult guardian with them in the designated activity area.
Stewardship Session: Seahorse Hotel at SCMELC
Did you know the Northern Lined Seahorse is native to Eastern Long Island? Unfortunately, loss of habitat has led to significant decline in their populations. Come to this interactive workshop to learn about the life cycles + behaviors of seahorses from CCE Marine's experts, and then work together as a group to construct a "Seahorse Hotel" artificial habitat based on what you have learned--your creation will be deployed in local waters and utilized in our new seahorse restoration + monitoring efforts!
We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!
The Quogue Duck Race
Meet our Quogue Back to the Bays Jr. Ambassadors at the Quogue Association’s Duck Race Fundraiser. They will be there promoting our work and engaging their local community in our mission.
Stewardship Session: Oyster Reef Deployment at Tiana Bayside
Help CCE's Back to the Bays Team deploy a spat-on-shell oyster reef off of Tiana Bayside!
We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!
Montauk Yacht Club Happy Hour
Join Back to the Bays at Montauk Yacht Club on August 7 at 5pm for Happy Hour in the Lighthouse!
Learn more about our mission and what is next for our Montauk Stewardship Site + oyster reef, sign up to become a Back to the Bays Steward, enjoy drinks and appetizers from Montauk Yacht Club and have the opportunity to participate in a pop-up ArtSEA Create + Sip!
ArtSEA Create + Sip available for additional purchase ($40 in advance, $45 at the door). Participate in our ArtSEA Oyster Decoupage project and learn from our educators about oysters, water quality and how to create your own masterpiece!
Walk-ins and non-resort guests welcome. Register in advance to be entered to win a raffle prize!
Food & beverages available for additional purchase.